Now this is how it started: THE ILX 1980s ALBUM POLL RESULTS!!

26!!

He was pissing about, starting tunes then dumping them after 20 seconds, and threw a strop when he got booed and closed things down early - a poor show

Don't make the same mistake, Tuomas

dn throw a strop

or a dump

"I started lurking here years ago in part because of past polls, which (seemed to) place a hazy focus on strands of music emerging out of the common hinterlands of (mostly european) pop and experiment in the 80s, but welcomed genius arriving from other corners. Thats more or less my trajectory, too. Those who see the best of modern music as a continual divergence of musics of the African diaspora, and there's a lot of merit to the idea, generally found other forums."

Eye-stabbing time for me too. I guess it needs to be said: For many white kids, not just myself at age 14, punk was a way INTO the music of the African diaspora, not out of it--into seeing all rock and roll as part of that tradition, and into looking beyond the radio. Because radio and MTV were much less of an open all-genre mashup through the '80s than we like to remember, Prince/Madonna/Michael Jackson aside. Rap was pretty much entirely underground except "I Feel For You," go-go was a rumor, and '70s funk records were still collectors items until sampling and the CD boom. My No. 1 and 2 were Sandinista! and Double Nickels, unthinkable without music of the African diaspora right up to the years they were recorded, and my No. 3 was It Takes a Nation, an answer to the Clash. Those are probably white-boy choices, but are they Eurocentric ones?

glad to see 1999 do well, it was the album I felt the most guilt about cutting from my ballot (although SOTT and Purple Rain are on there).

31. Sonic Youth - Sister [1987] (199 points, 21 votes, 1 first place vote)

http://sonicyouth.com/mustang/lp/lp05a.jpg http://www.hollowearth.org/blog/uploaded_images/sister.jpg

No, Kate you're not - your description of DN is spot-on. AND I agree with you on 'Sister' - definitely the best - Schizophrenia, Catholic Block, Pipeline/Kill Time, and especially Cotton Crown and White Cross are fantastic. It seems like their whole sound, vision and attitood all came together in such a sharp focus on this album. EVOL nearly gets there, but afterwards DN blurs it out too much.

The other album I REALLY like is 'Dirty'. SY diehards may not agree, and it does feel like a step towards the 'mainstream', which is what I really like about it, I guess. Search for "Theresa's Sound World", but it's all great.

I lost interest after Dirty - I always intend to pick up some of the 90's albums cheap, and never do.

Destroy : Bad Moon Rising and the awful Death Valley '69.

― Dr. C, 6. kesäkuuta 2001 3:00

Key phrase: "when i was 17, man, all the time."

When I was 17, playing Sister would result in the feeling of being in the presence of a higher power. So how can something like Washing Machine affect me?

― masonic boom, 8. kesäkuuta 2001 3:00

Another vote for Sister. The first of them I heard back then. "Schizophrenia" still gives me the chills. That intro is unbelievable - so simple, so effective.

― willem, 24. kesäkuuta 2007 14:35
Evol was my favourite album ever once but now it doesn't hold up as well for me as Sister does. "Green Light"/"Death to Our Friends"/"Secret Girl" are really great and creepy-pretty like they should be but parts of it feel a bit enervated. Sister moves more. The sound (lo-fi approximation of 80s production values?) seems a bit off. Even "Expressway" drags a bit. I don't know if it's just that I've heard more ambient guitar music or if it's that I just played the album to death from 16-23.

I think "Schizophrenia" is the best thing they've done. Is it the catchiest song that has no recurring sections at all? I think Sister maximizes their strengths within the form of creatively structured songs that have memorable tunes and beats. Sonic Nurse might be my 2nd choice!

― Sundar, 26. kesäkuuta 2007 7:12

TOO. FUCKING. LOW.

TOO. FUCKING. LOW.

― henry man see u (some dude), Sunday, November 29, 2009 11:56 AM (1 minute ago) Bookmark

about right tbh.

it's cool to see the 2 best sonic youth albums on this list, but kind of a shame that 'daydream nation' will certainly place much higher

^ We are of one mind

too low in that evol and sister will be below the inferior daydream nation

30. Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade [1984] (200 points, 13 votes)

http://www.everythingathon.com/husker-du-zen-arcade-750.JPG

I love the Huskers, but I am suprised Zen Arcade not only lost this one, but by this much. Zen Arcade is the monolith and it should get bonus points for inspiring Double Nickels on the Dime.

I concede on the song New Day Rising and a few other songs being as good as Husker Du ever did, but the second half of that album isn't near as strong. Zen Arcade really pushed things and the crazy noisy stuff like Hare Krishna, What's Going On, Dreams Reoccurring and I Will Never Forget You is so much better to my ears than something like How to Skin A Cat.

They are both raw recorded albums, but all of that reverb that Spot drenched on SST records starting about that takes away some of the impact. Zen Arcade is real dry and direct sounding.

I like New Day Rising, but Zen Arcade to me is the zenith of what Husker Du accomplished.

― earlnash, 25. kesäkuuta 2007 4:10

I've been listening to Zen Arcade a lot lately; it's one of three CDs that has found a home in my car. It stands up to me much better than New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig because it's so weird. The piano interludes, backwards guitars, weird spoken thingeees, etc all break up the punkier stuff very well. And I love the final track. I also think the lack of production is really great.

― Ian c=====8 (orion), 2. heinäkuuta 2004 2:01

Hard one! But Zen Arcade for me, partly cos of its huge significance for me when I was young - it was my Catcher In The Rye if you will, though I don't really feel that exact adolescent emotional identification with it anymore. But also (and more importantly) the sonics still have that wild scorch, Bob Mould sounds like a man with his throat on fire.

― NickB (NickB), 14. maaliskuuta 2006 19:07

Zen Arcade cos 'Reoccurring Dreams' sounds better than almost anything else ever when you're off your tits

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), 15. maaliskuuta 2006 0:55

like double nickels, it is good but not enough to vote for

lurkers win again

xp re: SY DN

daydream nation is better tho

not for me!

Daydream Nation possibly isn't fucking shit, but I always compelled to say that Daydream Nation is fucking shit because compared to Evol and Sister, Daydream Nation is fucking shit.

yay husker du

i dont really understand seeing much difference in quality either way? wanna explain?

btw bad moon rising is better than all of them but whatevs

xpost

The previous 2 albums take way more chances than DN. Their skronk is far skronkier, the dynamics of the records are far more dramatic. The pop hooks are hookier and the screaming guitars of death are deathier. The tremulous chime-y heads-down moments groove and sparkle and make pretty.

Daydream Nation, on the other hand, sounds like a late period Status Quo album.

its simple, daydream nation isnt as great as sister or evol, however daydream nation is the album of choice for people who havent heard the others usually. Also the music press here was slow to pick up on SY so daydream nation is the first one they went overboard on.

you know, it is possible that some people might legitimately like DN more than Sister of Evol.

Not possible.

Bad Moon Rising is still their best though.

Husker Du are the best SST band anyway.

haha the arguments begin

I voted for Zen Arcade. also Bad Moon Rising (also my fave) and EVOL but not the others SY albums. it was so hard to get my ballot down to 30 that I didn't order it, everything I had left just seemed too great to compare.

you know, it is possible that some people might legitimately like DN more than Sister of Evol.

I completely agree with this, there's lots of times/groups where I'd probably prefer the refinement and focus of DN over what came before. Don't really agree with Bad Moon either cos altho that's the first full blossoming of their sound I don't think they'd got their writing chops down until Evol.

I voted for New Day Rising, Zen Arade,Evol & Sister. Everyone else I had to limit 1 album per band.

Somehow listening to BMR has always eluded me, even though Confusion... is totally my favorite that I've heard thus far. Sonic Youth as No-wave>Sonic youth as noisy pop/grunge.

xp, also, as much as i love abba, when it comes to bands who know how to destroy things, sometimes i just gotta say "FUCK SONGWRITING"

and by drunkenly typing "songwriting" i meant "refinement and focus"

I think 10 of my list has made it so far

didnt expect E2-E4 to make it so im chuffed about that the most.

honestly rather ripped is my fav sonic youth album

Only Thomas Dolby, The Fall, Prince and Robyn Hitchcock got to have more than 1 album in mine. New Day Rising nudged out Zen, Up On The Sun nudged II, and Sonic Youth didn't make it.

I'll stick up for Daydream Nation here - Evol runs it very, very close (and almost made my ballot) but Sister doesn't really come close. For me there's nothing as pretty as 'Candle' or 'Kissability' or as heads-down intense as 'Silver Rocket' or 'Hey Joni' on Sister, plus the second side (bar 'White Cross') is much weaker than the first.

I've had 7 make it so far, I'm sure another 9 will make it, 8 have no chance now and the remaining 6 I can't tell.

In retrospect I kind of wish I'd reversed the positions of the two SY albums I voted for, but no huge regrets really.

Other artists to get multiple spots on my ballot: Elvis Costello, Talking Heads. (/boring, canonical, another man's sac)

I've got 7 in but a lot of canonical superhitzzzz left on my list.

29. Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth [1980] (200 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote)

http://dominorecordco.us/images/artists/young_marble_giants/1024_540/ymg_colossalyouth.jpg

Hooray, another point of intersection for me and Dr. C. ;-) Wonderful, full stop. _Colossal Youth_ is one of those albums I can just pull out and listen to, and do, without thinking too hard about it. It's so great and always puts me in a fine mood -- something about the understated performances sounds so warm and full. I hope the royalties on sales from _Live Through This_ and the cover of "Living in the Straight World" on it set them up for life.

― Ned Raggett, 26. huhtikuuta 2001 3:00

They were colossal youths. 'Colossal Youth' is a great song. The sewing machine metaphor could definitely be applied to it, to lots of their songs. Not only precise, but clean stitches. No smokestacks. I love Alison Statton's voice. It's cool but without *obvious* attitude.

― youn, 5. toukokuuta 2001 3:00

I always find I have to be in a very specific mood to fully enjoy and absorb YMG's music. It is so subtle and fleeting an appeal that you have to be actively wanting their immense sparseness... The gaps in instrumentation and lack of flourish are what count really. The absence plays upon one's mind in quite a symbolic way, for me.

They tend to have some of the most affecting organ playing on record that I've heard, also...

― Tom May (Tom May), 9. huhtikuuta 2004 17:36

YMG is dry, stripped down to it's basic parts, the percussion is just a click and a pop. There is space, then there's a guitar riff. A nice, melodic, hook, played simply. Likewise the bass does it's job with minimal fuss, though perhaps more excitement then the other parts. Nothing's monotone, you know? They are mostly well-crafted song simply constructed and plainly presented. I think their influence on indie of the 80s on shows in that it was their songs more then their style/aesthetic.

And if you're missing the bonus tracks, Phil, that may help to persuade you.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), 6. helmikuuta 2007 20:06

There's something very wonderful about this band, but they make me feel restless, as though I'm being told to sit still. Maybe one day the music will completely take hold of me, but until then I can only take a few minutes of YMG before I feel the need to do about ten pushups or a cartwheel.

― RabiesAngentleman, 14. tammikuuta 2008 14:12

x(^20)p Pete et. al.: about the "eye-stabbing" comment.

This was taken out of the context of my first line (which I had merely intended to amplify): polls are about demographics, not truth. AFAIK, this forum evolved out of the mid-90s rec.music.alternative usenet newsgroup, and that history generates a certain demographic (in age, in braided paths of musical interest). Forums being self-selecting communities, I don't know any reason why our poll should look like the canon of mainstream commercial publications. It's not "representative".

YMG #2 on my ballot. I suppose I was hoping it would place higher, but inside the top thirty isn't bad for a small album in a field that will now be shelled mercilessly by the heavy canon.

^ have probably listened to 'colossal youth' more than any other album on this list. the only reason i didn't vote for it was because i knew everyone else would

"Final Day," so beautiful and empty. Didn't think this would come so high.

28. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses [1989] (201 points, 15 votes, 2 first place votes)

http://s52.radikal.ru/i137/0901/63/edc302d14fbe.jpg

I hate to disagree (no, wait I LOVE it), but the first Stone Roses record is pretty freakin' brilliant. When it came out, it pretty much blasted everything else coming out of the UK out of the water, at least for your average US high school senior.

I think a lot of the guitar playing on that record is quite inspired. Squire took your average chords and spiced them up a good deal with cool overdubs and interesting sounds. The John Leckie production is probablly the thing that doesn't age well for a lot of people. Its pretty "soft" and compressed. Subdued, I would say. Its immediately dating when you listen to it now. But the songwriting is nice and simple and catchy. Not every tune is amazing, but every one has some seriously redeeming qualities. Probablly the best overall quality of the album is that its well bookended. The best songs are in the beginning and at the end. The middle is a bit of fluff, but by the time "Resurrection" and "Fools GOld" play out, you've forgotten about the bathroom break that you took in the middle.

Either way, its definitely in my top 100. Probablly top 10.

― Tim Baier, 3. toukokuuta 2001 3:00

I think John Squire's guitar playing is great. When I first heard Stone Roses, it sounded new to me. I found out about their influences through them. I'm glad John Squire pointed out 'Chestnut Mare' as one of his favorite songs by the Byrds; otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered to listen to so much of the Byrds' later stuff. And 'Chestnut Mare' is a great song.

I don't think they just repeated what people did before them. I agree with Dr. C here: "The tension between the great melodies and the swaggering thuggish undercurrent of the lyrics is one of the great attractions for me." Comparing the first album to the songs that came out on the singles is interesting cos then the awed, almost reverential, out-of-nowhere feeling on the album is evident. (Sorry I'm so bad at expressing what I mean.) The songs on the singles are brash and in love with life.

Finally, I think John Squire is inspiring. I read in an interview how he got off drugs. He decided to go cycling in the evenings instead and just worked at it. And the way he described it was so matter-of-fact. I like his hair, too.

― youn, 3. toukokuuta 2001 3:00

the original us version did not have fools gold on it either, i only know cause i bought the album on cassette and when i had worn it out i bought the cd which had a new song 'fool's gold' on it. to me the album is deserving of its status, it is very popular now to dismiss them but talentwise and regarding the ability to write inspiring, syscraping, epic pop songs they were so far above the mondays or inspiral carpets or house of love any other band of the time and that, for me, is without question. look at oasis they were essentially stone roses imitators and failed to release one song to match anything on the roses' debut. perhaps it is because it came out when my musical taste was beginning to expand and blossom but this album is a landmark in my life and still the opening of 'waterfall' gives me chills, 'she bangs the drums' can still make me scream along, 'this is the one' just explodes in my head, 'ressurection' is a wank song that i find brilliant. i think looking at john sqire with the filter of having heard the very very awful seahorses somehow taints the fact that he was untouchable at the time of the release of 'the stone roses'. they were also an art school band that made it big, how cool was that.

― keith, 3. toukokuuta 2001 3:00

But anyway, Stone Roses first album. I remember hearing it for the first time, soon after it came out, when my music scene was drowning in a sea of goth-industrio-techno-bollocks and it really did just shock and amaze me. How could something so simple be so amazing, and something to retro be so fresh?

Melodically and harmonically, it's beautiful, the guitarwork is perfectly balanced between naive psychedelic haze and blazing technique (clearly, Squire went well off the wrong end of that balance later) but it is simply the amazing BASS on that album that renders it forever a total CLASSIC.

The cult of the Stone Roses, Madchester, the next album and the collection awfulness of the solo output, the whole Manchester Oasis Britshit that followed... none of this can taint the fresh, startling effect that hearing that album for the first time had on me. Och, you just had to be there. Reading about it must be like seeing a butterfly preserved in a formaldehyde jar and wondering what the hype was about.

― kate the saint, 4. toukokuuta 2001 3:00

knew this ^ wouldn't be top 10

at least it's not higher